Cacao, from which chocolate is created, was found in the Amazon. The Aztecs were so enthralled with the bean that they said their God Quetzalcoatl descended from heaven on a beam of a morning star carrying a cacao tree stolen from paradise.

The Aztecs (AD300-900) used the cacao beans to prepare a thick foamy frothy unsweetened chocolate drink called chocolatl — a liquid so prestigious that it was served in golden goblets that were thrown away after one use.

It was Cortez who took the drink to Spain along with the heaps of cocoa plants where it remained a Spanish secret until the middle of 17th century.

Cortez mixed the bitter beverage with blended cane sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, allspice and cinnamon. It was a drink for the nobility that the Spanish managed to keep from the rest of the world for almost 100 years.

But the secret soon got about and it spread rapidly to France, Britain and the rest of Europe. In about 1780 an Irish chocolate maker who was importing cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester opened the first American Chocolate factory, Walter Baker and Co with the financial help of the American Dr James Baker.

After that, chocolates took off using other inventions like Henri Nestlé’s 19th century concentrated infant food formula which wouldn’t spoil while in storage — the nutritious sweetened condensed milk product for babies.

At the same time the Swiss chocolate manufacturer Daniel Peter tried repeatedly to create a chocolate bar flavoured with milk to lessen the bittersweet taste. But he couldn’t manage to produce a smooth mixture of milk and chocolate. So he used Henri Nestlé’s condensed milk and the chocolate bar came into being. Peter and Nestle formed a company called Nestle.

Rodolphe Lindt of Berne invented the conching machine that heated the chocolate rolls in order to refine it so you got smoother and creamier forms of chocolate.

Mr Milton Hershey saw chocolate making machinery on exhibit at the Chicago International Exposition bought it and from Lancaster, Philadelphia started Hershey bars. A few years later from caramel fillings Hershey went to milk chocolates and it became an everyday item.

The most honest company in the world is the Quaker Cadbury Company. At the turn of the 20th century George Cadbury introduced Dairy Milk chocolate bars and much of the money he earned was spent in improving education and housing for the poor.

Theodor Tobler in Switzerland and his cousin Emil Baumann created Toberlone. The name is the coming together of Tobler and torrone, the Italian word for honey-almond nougat. The shape was inspired by the Matterhorn.

In World War I energy food consisted of (amongst other things) chocolate bars which were carried by the Americans.

In 1937 Rowntree’s launched

a new two-bar Chocolate Crisp in Britain which was re-branded the Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp

after an 18th century London political club named after Christopher (Kit) Catling who provided the venue.

It’s that certain time of year when we in Nepal make chocolates from hotels to individuals — I love the Soaltee chocolates and my friend Caroline of

Chez Caroline makes chocolates truffles which I die for and probably will because I have diabetes and Tasneem makes chocolates that are becoming increasingly popular.

You will note this is one of those, “If you can do it so can we” end of an article, number. But chocolates will go on forever as long as sweet teeth exist.